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| She Dreamed of Dragons cover |
Realms Young Adult
Fantasy Literary Magazine:
Will you give us a brief background about who you are and where you’re from?
Elizabeth J. M.
Walker: I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. I currently work as a freelance
journalist/photographer for an online community newspaper. I grew up being
involved in dance and theatre, including writing scripts for dance theatre
shows. Dancing often finds its way into my stories, including She Dreamed of Dragons. I’ve always
loved books and writing.
Realms: For those
who don’t know, can you give a brief synopsis of your debut novel, She Dreamed of Dragons?
Elizabeth: She Dreamed of Dragons follows a young
dragon mage named Trina as she unwillingly attends a competition to find a new
prince or princess for the fantasy world of Dorlith. The novel is a YA fantasy
adventure, but is also suitable for Middle Grade readers.
Realms: What was
it that inspired you to write She Dreamed
of Dragons?
Elizabeth: When I
was in high school, I remember watching the very first season of American Idol, when “reality TV” was
first becoming popular. I thought it’d be fun to write a fantasy story about
young people attending a competition to find a new prince/princess.
Realms: What
appealed to you about writing from the point of view of a YA character?
Elizabeth: I write YA because the teenage years are such
an interesting and life-changing part of life for everyone. Things like first
romantic relationships, feeling like you’re growing up and changing into a new
person, and making choices that will ultimately affect you for the rest of your
adult life can all happen while you are a teen. It can be exciting, wonderful,
frightening, and stressful––or a combination of all of the above and more. For
a writer it creates a wealth of material for stories, whether they are
contemporary fiction or fantasy.
Realms: What is it
about Trina, the protagonist who is a dragon mage, that you think readers will
find relatable?
Elizabeth: Even
though Trina has magical powers, I still wanted her to be a very down-to-earth
and “normal” character. I think some readers would be able to relate to her
feeling awkward and unsure of herself, but her confidence grows throughout the
story.
Realms: What
would you like your readers to take away from the book?
Elizabeth: I
would like readers to be able to enjoy a fun, fantastical story. However, on a
deeper level, a lot of the book is about accepting others’ differences and accepting
who you are.
Realms: Do you think adults have
something to gain by reading YA stories?
Elizabeth: I have
never stopped reading YA, even though I’m no longer a teenager. I think it’s an
important part of life where many interesting stories can be told.
Realms:
Currently, your book is only offered as an eBook and/or PDF. Are there any
plans to have it available in paperback or will there be any sequels?
Elizabeth: I
believe Musa Publishing is gradually adding all of their books to a
Print-On-Demand option. A few of their books are currently available with this
service, but She Dreamed of Dragons
has not been added yet. Hopefully within the next year or so it will be
available as a paperback.
I have ideas and outlines for sequels, but have some other
manuscripts closer to being finished that I would like to work on before fully
committing my time to a She Dreamed of
Dragons sequel.
Realms: Since you
are also a contributing author in our upcoming issue, we would like to know
your opinion about us. Do you think it is important to broaden the YA Fantasy
genre and open it up to short stories, poetry, and other writing forms?
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| Author Elizabeth J. M. Walker |
Elizabeth: I
think there are a lot of wonderful YA fantasy novels out there, but not too
many places that focus on fantasy short fiction for the YA audience. I think
it’s great that Realms is around to
provide readers with some great fantasy short fiction and poetry.
Realms: Do you believe there is magic
in the world? What kind?
Elizabeth: If you
look in the right places….
Realms: What is
it about YA Fantasy that draws you?
Elizabeth: Ever
since my dad read The Hobbit to me
when I was little, I loved reading about fantasy worlds. I enjoy reading to
escape, and reading about a fantastical world is the best way to do so. There
are all kinds of fun and magical ideas waiting to happen, but at the heart of
good fantasy stories there are always great characters that bring everything
together.
Realms: Which author(s) influence you
the most?
Elizabeth: When I was a teen, the first
YA fantasy stories I fell in love with were the Song of the Lioness Quartet and The Immortals Quartet by Tamora
Pierce. I think she has influenced a lot of current authors who write about
strong female heroines in fantasy settings. Some of my other favourite YA/MG
fantasy authors that I find inspiring are Kristin Cashore, Maureen Johnson,
Eoin Colfer, and J. K. Rowling.
Realms: What is your favorite YA
fantasy story?
Elizabeth: I guess I would have to say Harry Potter. I think the first book
came out when I first started high school, and the last book came out after I
was done with high school for quite some time. Like a lot of people, I feel as
though I grew up with the books, and Harry and his friends. I have a lot of
fond memories of borrowing the books from friends at school, discussing the
books while waiting for the bus, going to see the first couple movies together,
watching the DVDs and bonding with new friends while living in university
dorms, and the final book being delivered in a special box on a Saturday, even
though we usually don’t get mail delivered on Saturdays.
Realms: If there was the kind of magic
in this world that is in storybooks, what would you want to be or be able to
do?
Elizabeth: I think it would be pretty
amazing if we had fantastical healers who could heal every disease. And…I’ve
always wanted to be able to teleport, so I wouldn’t have to spend time driving
everywhere. I could also travel the world for free and be able to visit family
more often.
She Dreamed of
Dragons is a YA fantasy adventure that follows Trina, a struggling
dragon mage, as she competes in a competition to find a new prince or princess
for the fantastical Kingdom of Dorlith.
She Dreamed of Dragons
can be purchased at:
Elizabeth J. M. Walker is also the writer of “The Sea Rider,”
a short story that will be featured in the first issue of Realms. You can read an excerpt on our website.
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